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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. capital — money
  4. can — a tin
  5. fine — all right
  6. capital — a city
  7. charge — a price
  8. stock — shares
  9. charge — in control
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. stock — goods
  13. bear — the animal
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. bear — the animal
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. charge — electricity
  18. can — a tin
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. fine — high quality
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. arm — part of the body

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com